Grenfell Tower was OVER INSULATED with flammable cladding that went ‘over and above’ regulations to avoid a repeat job

Developers behind the external refurbishment of the North Greenwich block used panels banned in the US

By Sam Webb and Neal Baker

17th June 2017,10:34 pm

Updated: 19th June 2017,5:05 am

GRENFELL Tower had MORE insulated cladding installed on the outside of the building than was needed to avoid having to repeat the job.

A planning report shows the developers, hired by the Royal Borough Council of Kensington and Chelsea, insulated the 24 floor block more than was necessary.

Residents claimed cladding on the outside of the building went up ‘like matchsticks’

The Daily Express claims the document says that the developers behind the £8.6million refurbishment chose to “far exceed” the insulation levels required in order to avoid having to do the same job again in the future.

“Insulation improvements may only happen once or twice in a building’s lifetime due to the complexity and disruption caused.”

It added: “For this reason we are going over and above current building regulations to make sure the building continues to perform well into the future.”

Experts said the composite foam sandwich panels helped spread the fire quickly from the lower floors all the way up the block.

And material used in the cladding on Grenfell was the cheaper, more flammable version of the two available options, an investigation of the supply chain by The Guardian has claimed.

Arnold Tarling, 55, of the Association of Specialist Fire Protection, said the foam “went up like matchsticks”.

And he said the waterproof zinc coating made it even harder for firefighters to douse the blaze.

He said: “They clad the concrete of this building with flammable insulation panels and rain screen cladding with a 30mm gap, which acted like a chimney.

FIRE EXPERTS WARNED ABOUT PANELS IN 1999

In 1999 fire safety experts warned that the cladding used could cause a high-rise fire to spiral upthe building.

Fire Brigades Union official Glyn Evans told MPs: “The problem with cladding is that it will, if it is able, spread fire and it will spread it vertically.

“If you get multistorey buildings you will get fire spread up the outside if the cladding will permit it.”

The Daily Telegraph reports that after testimony from Mr Evans and others, a House of Commons committee concluded: “We do not believe that it should take a serious fire in which many people are killed before all reasonable steps are taken towards minimising the risks.”

“All the burning material falls down, starting more fires below, and the flames spread up and across searching for oxygen.

“Meanwhile, crews can’t tackle the fire effectively because their water just bounces off the rain covers.

“The cladding looks lovely, it’s cheap, complies with regulations and gives the building a high environmental rating.

“But it’s a silent killer.

The capital was rocked by the tragic Grenfell Tower fire

“When this block was built, it complied with the old fire regulations. Had it been left alone it would never have burned like this.”

Witnesses to the blaze described how the material “went up like paper”.

Another told Channel 4 News: “The fire was coming up really fast because of the cladding. The cladding was flammable.”

It has now been claimed the “deathtrap” cladding is banned in America – and a fireproof version could have cost just £5,000 more.

When six people died in a 2009 fire at Lakanal House, a 14-storey block in Camberwell, South-east London, exterior cladding panels ignited in just four-and-a-half minutes.

Southwark Council was fined £570,000 for fire safety failings in February — but not for the cladding.

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